[10] boldness; the rest of the army being moved to the left flank to connect with him as he advanced.Here we have from General Lee himself positive statements with which to test the accuracy of what has been said or written by others: 1. On the evening of his and Jackson's arrival in front of Hooker's position at Chancellorsville, which was Friday, May 1st, he decided against an attack in front, and stated to General Jackson that the attack must be on ‘our left,’ (which was General Hooker's right), “that it must be made as soon as practicable.” and that the necessary movement of the troops ‘began immediately.’ 2. That about the same time (on the evening of Friday, May 1st) a report was received from General Fitz. Lee, ‘describing the position of the Federal army, and the roads which he held with his cavalry leading to its rear,’ and ‘General Jackson, after some inquiry concerning the roads leading to the furnace, undertook to throw his command entirely in Hooker's rear.’ From this it seems clear that General Lee told General Jackson on the night of Friday, May 1st, when and how General Hooker's army was to be attacked, and that General Jackson, after some inquiry concerning the roads leading to the Furnace undertook “to carry out the plan of attack indicated to him by General Lee,” and commenced the movement of his troops into position at once. General Jackson's inquiry about the roads leading to the Furnace was obviously to enable him to determine the line of march of each of his divisions, from where they halted Friday night to the Furnace, from which point he led his troops in person, as stated by Dr. Dabney. General Lee gave to General Jackson all the credit of having undertaken and successfully carried out the movement around Hooker. He was writing to Mrs. Jackson, and if he could have truthfully accorded to her dead husband all the credit claimed for General Jackson by Dr. Dabney, he would certainly have done so in specific terms; but he did not say
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Richmond, VA. 1906.
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